The Five Scarves - Elemental Control Part 4
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 2 of 3, Part 4 of 5) Rob, worried about whether Hanna is actually in control of her Crystal, or if it is controlling her, takes action to protect the one he loves. But Hanna's not happy about it...
1. Chapter 1

The stormy morning in Rage Ravine rather matched Rob's mood, after the second assassination mission had ended in failure the day before. But that wasn't why his mood was foul; she was still asleep. Hanna's near-loss of control on the rooftop had led to Rob not only securing all five Crystals in the safe, but also changing the combination.

Without telling her.

_She'll be unbelievably angry with me when she realises. But it's the right thing to do; she'll understand. Eventually. I hope._ Rob gently rolls out of bed; Hanna stirs, but doesn't wake. Electing to remain in his nightclothes for the time being, he pads quietly downstairs to the den. A brief diversion to the kitchen, he returns to the den a few minutes later with a green tea.

Seated on the sofa, tea placed on the table, Rob starts to strip down the shuriken rifle in order to perform some routine maintenance. Laying the parts out on the table, Rob pauses a moment to finish his drink.

"_Rob!_" a shrill voice bellows from upstairs.

_She's up; now the fun begins._

The unmistakable growl of a very angry fox thumps down the stairs; Rob leans back, hands behind his head, attempting to look as calm and casual as possible. Seconds later, Hanna appears at the door to the den, her unkempt hair emphasising her thunderous scowl, her tail thrashing wildly.

"Tell me the combination," Hanna demands.

"No," Rob replies defiantly.

Hanna raises a hand, claws at full extension. "Tell. Me. The. Combination."

"You won't persuade me with empty threats."

"What makes you think this is an empty threat?"

"You'd never hurt me, and you know it."

Hanna snarls a curse.

"Foul language won't work either."

"I know what will."

"What?"

"I'm an expert safe-cracker," Hanna boasts, grinning aggressively.

"Then why aren't you up there now, cracking the safe?"

Hanna opens her mouth to respond; she pauses as she realises she has no response.

"I did it because I care," Rob continues. "You almost went full-on crazy yesterday. Those Crystals are very powerful; there's no telling what you would have done had I not been there to bring you to your senses."

Hanna's growling fades into nothing, her claws retract; her expression softens as she starts to calm down.

"You went four days without the Crystal before yesterday's mission," Rob reminds.

"I guess I can try to go without again," Hanna agrees reluctantly, slumping in defeat. "I just need something to occupy myself with…"

"You can start by occupying yourself with breakfast."

Hanna trudges to the kitchen in silence, making an obscene gesture at Rob on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

After breakfast, Hanna tries to occupy herself with anything she can, but her attention keeps wavering every few minutes. By mid-morning, Rob starts to get annoyed at Hanna's restlessness.

"You've been pacing around the room for half an hour," Rob observes, his voice undercut with irritation. "Just sit down and watch TV or something."

"I tried that," Hanna retorts. "I got bored."

"You only watched a few seconds; you didn't even try a second channel."

"I just… I need to get out of here."

"Actually, maybe you should. That way, I can finish servicing my rifle without you distracting me every thirty seconds."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hanna speeds away from the house on her ATV; within seconds, she is darting between the trees, pushing the ATV to its limits.

* * *

An hour later, Hanna slams on the brakes. The ATV slides wildly in the mud; Hanna just about manages to prevent the ATV spinning. She cuts the engine, dismounts, and walks a few feet away, before dropping flat on her back, staring through the treetops, allowing the rain to soak through her already waterlogged fur and blur her vision through her goggles.

_What is wrong with me? It's just a stupid rock. OK, it gives me super flame powers, and it's huge fun, but… but… I really can't think of a drawback._ Hanna signs deeply. _Maybe that's part of the problem; the power is addictive. How does Rob manage to resist temptation so easily?_

Hanna closes her eyes with another deep sigh; a moment later, she falls into a light sleep.

* * *

Three hours later, Hanna jerks awake, sitting up in mild alarm. _What happened? Where am I?_ She looks around; her ATV is still parked a few feet away. _I must have dozed off; how long was I asleep? What time is it? At least it's not raining anymore._

Hanna stands; she makes to brush herself down, but stops when she realises almost no part of her fiery orange fur is not covered in thick cloying mud. _That's a lot of mud; no wonder I feel cold._ She returns to the ATV, mounts it, and fires up the engine.

_One thing's for sure though: I'm going to get my Crystal back, one way or another. Rob won't hand it over or tell me the combination to the safe; I'll have to be sneaky. I can't rush though; Rob's already wary enough._

* * *

Early evening; Hanna arrives back home, parks the ATV in the garage, and enters the house.

"I take it you had some fun out there," Rob guesses, his attention momentarily diverted from polishing his sai.

"Plenty," Hanna lies, "judging by the amount of mud I appear to have picked up."

"You look like some sort of swamp monster."

"Very funny."

"I thought so too." Rob finishes his polishing. "I'll sort out dinner while you shower."

As Hanna makes her way upstairs, she sneezes twice. _I hope I'm not coming down with a cold…_


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning, the weather, in stark contrast to the day before, is warm and sunny. Hanna wakes naturally; Rob's light snoring sounds to her oddly flat and distant. She props herself up on one elbow, wondering what's wrong with her normally highly acute hearing; the effort triggers a surprise, though mercifully brief, coughing fit.

"Feeling OK?" Rob asks groggily, having been woken unexpectedly by the spluttering fox alongside him.

"Not even close," Hanna responds, her normally vibrant voice dulled by severe nasal congestion.

"You sound awful," Rob observes.

Hanna grabs a tissue from the bedside table just in time to catch a violent sneeze; the subsequent nasal evacuation is very unladylike.

"Yeah, you won't be going anywhere today," Rob declares. "Stay here; I'll be back with a hot drink."

Rob hops out of bed and heads downstairs; he returns a few minutes later with a fresh hot chocolate, which he places on the bedside table.

"Thanks," Hanna mumbles appreciatively.

"And don't worry about supplies; I'll manage", Rob assures. "And remember: no sneaky safe-cracking while I'm out," he adds with a wink.

"I wouldn't be able to hear the mechanism properly anyway," Hanna jests.

* * *

An hour later, drink finished and Rob out getting supplies, Hanna is snoozing lightly. _I guess this is due penance for being out in the mud and rain yesterday._ Suddenly, Hanna sits bolt upright. The swift movement triggers a momentary spell of dizziness; she pauses a moment to recover her senses. _Rob won't be back for a while, and my hearing's not _that_ adversely affected; maybe I _can_ crack the safe before he gets back._

Clambering out of bed, Hanna stumbles to the safe sitting beside the weapons chest. Kneeling down, ear to the door, she begins the painstaking task of cracking the combination, a task not helped by the dullness in her hearing and the frequent pauses to catch sneezes. Switching ears offers no benefit.

It takes Hanna a full hour, but she finally cracks the combination. _That took far too long._ A sudden wave of fear washes over Hanna; she turns in mild panic, expecting to find Rob standing over her. He's not there; Hanna sighs a deep sigh of relief, and turns her attention back to the safe. She turns the handle, opens the door, and-

_It's empty._ Hanna feels the rage build inside her-

"_ROB STIIL, WHERE ON AVALICE HAVE YOU HIDDEN MY CRYSTAL?_"

Hanna slams the safe door shut with enough force that it shifts half an inch. _Calm down girl; he's only done that to protect you. No matter how unfair it is._ Hanna stands slowly, breathing as deeply as she is able in a semi-fruitful attempt to calm down. _I'll have to look for the Crystal some other time; Rob must be almost home by now._

Shivering with a mild fever, Hanna dons her bathrobe, tying the belt tightly round her waist. She trudges downstairs, makes herself a fresh drink, and settles down to watch some TV. Within moments, she falls asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Hanna wakes with a start. It's early evening; Rob is sat in the chair, watching an evening news programme with the sound off.

"Feeling better?" he asks.

"More or less, yeah," Hanna answers, a little confused. Her voice sounds closer to normal, but not fully.

"You certainly sound better; less congested than this morning."

"I can hear properly too." A moment later: "When did you get back?"

"Just after lunchtime," Rob lies. "Found you sleeping on the sofa; I thought it better not to wake you." _Actually, I got back much earlier, just in time to hear you screaming my name in fury. I knew you'd try to crack the safe; that's why I moved the Fire Crystal yesterday. And you'll never find it._

"Usually our supply runs go quicker than that," Hanna observes. _And normally they don't end with what looks like a suspiciously clean, almost surgical, cut on your arm._

"Usually our supply runs have two people and two ATVs. Remember, they don't have a lot of luggage capacity."

"I guess," Hanna agrees. _You're lying to me, I just know it. But I can't call your bluff; I don't know if you know I cracked the safe earlier._

Rob changes the subject. "I bet you're pretty hungry."

"Now you mention it," Hanna replies, "I did miss both breakfast _and_ lunch; I'm starving. Is it my turn to cook tonight?"

"Yes, but I'll do it. I'll fetch you a fresh drink too; the one you have currently is stone cold."

* * *

After dinner, Hanna snoozes on the sofa, appetite very much satisfied; Rob is reading in the chair.

"I think I'll have an early night," Hanna murmurs.

"Assuming you don't fall asleep on the sofa again," Rob teases.

"Actually, that sounds preferable. Means I don't have to get up."

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in bed though?" No response. "Hanna?" Hanna starts to snore unusually loudly. _I'll be honest, it _is_ better her sleeping down here; means her snoring won't keep me awake._

Rob closes his book quietly, and lays it on the table. He heads upstairs, returning a moment later with a thick blanket. He lays the blanket over Hanna; she stirs slightly, murmurs briefly and incomprehensibly, then resumes snoring loudly.

Rob scowls at the sleeping fox. _I noticed the safe has moved. It's a good thing I relocated _all_ the Crystals; slamming the door that hard has probably shattered the glass relocker. And even if you find the new hiding locations, you still won't be able to get 'your' Crystal; it's locked inside a container you'll never be able to pick open. And the only key has been surgically implanted in my arm._


	5. Chapter 5

Two days later, early afternoon. Hanna, fully recovered from her illness, is meditating on the balcony. The weather is cool and cloudy, with a stiff breeze; Hanna has her cloak draped over her shoulders as a windbreak. Rob, aware of how frosty the air between Hanna and him has been for the past two days, has busied himself with preparing the ATVs; the job done, he stands in front of the house, itching to get going.

"Are you sure you're well enough for this mission?" Rob calls up to the balcony.

"Do you have to interrupt my meditation?" Hanna responds.

"We need to leave soon, and you've just been sat there for the last hour."

"Leave me alone and let me meditate."

"Be quick."

"I'll be even quicker if you shut up."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Hanna and Rob are in the garage, strapping their equipment to their ATVs.

"We're going to be late to the rendezvous," Rob informs.

"You shouldn't have interrupted my meditation," Hanna challenges.

"You don't normally meditate before a mission."

"I normally have my Fire Crystal."

"I'm not telling you where I hid it."

"I don't want you to."

"Then stop bringing it up," Rob demands.

"I've mentioned it once," Hanna protests angrily.

"Once too many."

"Would you like to find out how it feels to be eviscerated?"

"Another empty threat?"

"Keep pushing me, and you'll find out."

"Maybe later," Rob declares in frustration. "I'm ready to go; catch up when you're done wasting time."

Rob jumps on his ATV, fires up the engine, and takes off at maximum acceleration; within seconds, he disappears into the trees.

_My plan worked! Oh Rob, you're too easy to manipulate sometimes. At least now I can try to find the Crystal that is rightfully mine._ Hanna abandons her ATV, and starts hunting for the Fire Crystal. _Of course, my hunt would be easier if I had any clue at all as to where to look... Let's try something wacky._

Hanna closes her eyes, empties her mind, and enters a deep meditative trance. _I can feel it._ Her eyes open automatically; they're glazed over, yet simultaneously oddly vibrant. As if on autopilot, Hanna moves smoothly towards a small patch of earth, halting beside it; she suddenly breaks from her trance, drops on all fours, and starts frantically digging. A few moments later, she unearths a small transparent box; inside is the Fire Crystal.

_At last! My beloved Crystal!_ She hugs the box tightly. _Now to get this darn box open._ Hanna quickly scans the box for a weak spot; the only possible weakness is the small and intricate lock. Extending a claw, she finds it's too big to fit into the lock. _So close! Need to find the key; where has he… oh. That complicates things a little._ Restoring the Fire Crystal to its hiding place, Hanna carefully reburies it, making sure the patch of earth looks untouched.

* * *

A few moments later, Hanna speeds away from the house on her ATV in pursuit of Rob.


	6. Chapter 6

Late evening, and Hanna catches up with Rob in a shadowy alley in one of the shadier areas of the city of Shang Mu; she arrives just as a cloaked figure disappears out the other end. Rob is reading a small coded note by the light of a miniature flashlight.

"About time you showed up," Rob snipes, keeping his voice low.

Hanna snatches both the flashlight and the note from Rob. Her claws are extended just enough to scratch Rob's hands; she smiles cruelly at the sound of Rob's wincing.

"Seems like a complete waste of time," she mutters after speed-reading the note.

"Seems like you're lacking confidence," Rob retorts.

Hanna responds with an obscene gesture; she walks away, pocketing the note and flashlight. Rob follows, snarling silently.

* * *

Shang Mu Town Hall; on the rooftop of a neighbouring building, Hanna and Rob hide in the shadows, watching the waning activity below. Eventually, the streets fall almost silent, save a few stragglers.

"We go together. Is the coast clear?" Rob asks. Hanna doesn't answer; she hops over the edge of the roof, shimmies down the drainpipe, sprints across to the Town Hall, and begins to scale the wall. _In the name of the Ancients, I know you're unhappy with me, but this is ridiculous._

* * *

On the roof of the Town Hall, Hanna is already halfway through an access door by the time Rob gets to the top of the wall. Rob sprints at top speed to catch the door before it shuts; he misses the chance by less than a second. A moment later, the door opens again, revealing a scowling Hanna.

"Now who's holding us up?" she growls.

* * *

Hanna successfully picks the lock of the target office, and throws the door open; it clatters loudly against the wall.

"What on Avalice are you doing?" Rob hisses. "This is meant to be a stealth mission!"

"Shut up and let me work," Hanna hisses back as she makes her way over to the safe; she puts her ear to the door and begins the process of cracking the code while Rob keeps watch. After fifteen minutes, she cracks the code; she opens the safe and extracts the sole folder contained within.

"Got it," she whispers.

"Let's get out of here," Rob whispers back urgently.

Retracing their route to the office, they dash round a corner, and almost straight into a security guard.

"The other way!" Rob cries; he and Hanna turn and sprint away from the security guard, who gives chase. "Out the office window!" Rob turns hard into the target office once more. He dives through the window, landing on the fire escape; the sound of smashing glass rings down the street. Hanna follows him a few seconds later; she catches her foot on the window frame. The subsequent fall causes her to let go of the folder; it flutters to the ground three storeys down, spilling its contents. Recovering quickly, Hanna scrambles over the edge of the fire escape, swiftly dropping down to ground level; Rob reunites with her a second later. They start towards the scattered folder; they freeze when they see three patrolling police officers are closing in.

"Bail!" Rob commands. He and Hanna turn and sprint at top speed; they don't slow down until they are half a mile away.


	7. Chapter 7

"We need to talk about last night," Rob states during breakfast.

"It was a disaster," Hanna agrees. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"Clearly."

"You're not exactly blameless yourself, you know."

"In what way?" Rob asks, confused.

"You showed none of your normal patience; it stressed me out big time."

"You kept delaying us. And your uncharacteristic clumsiness almost got us both arrested."

"You interrupted my meditation."

"You took too long."

An awkward silence falls; they continue to eat, neither able to meet the other's gaze.

"This is stupid," Hanna blurts suddenly. "It's pointless arguing about it; the fact is, we both screwed up massively. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Rob looks up to meet Hanna's gaze. "You mean that?"

"Yes I do."

"Are you feeling OK?"

"Of course; never better."

Rob leans back and pauses a moment. "Apology accepted. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry too."

"I know."

"It's not like it's our first failure."

"True," Hanna chuckles; Rob smiles in response. "I'll clear up," she adds.

"I won't stop you," Rob winks; he makes his way to the den while Hanna clears the table.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Rob is reading the morning newspaper. Hanna brings him a green tea; he accepts with a nod of thanks, drinking half before placing the cup on the table.

"Tastes a little off," Rob observes.

"Really?" Hanna responds, confused. "I guess they've been in there a while."

"It's not that; no idea what it is. No matter; I appreciate the gesture."

With a nod, Hanna returns to the kitchen to get a drink for herself.

A few moments later, Rob collapses, dropping the newspaper; he starts to snore lightly.

Hanna returns from the kitchen, grinning with satisfaction. _Now it's time to reclaim what is rightfully mine._ Hanna leans over Rob and locates the cut on his arm. Extending a single claw, she slices Rob's arm open along the cut, and extracts the key from inside. Key in hand, she dashes outside, digs up the Fire Crystal, opens the box, and extracts the Crystal.

"At last," she coos to the Crystal, "I have you once more. I will never abandon you again as long as I live. And thanks to you, that will be a very long time."


	8. Chapter 8

Rob regains consciousness early in the afternoon. _What on Avalice happened? What time is it?_ He notices the empty cup on the table. _Hanna must have drugged me. Never thought she'd stoop that low…_

Rob gets up slowly, a little unsteady as his body is still recovering from the effects of the powerful sedative. His arm aches where the key used to be; reaching to massage the wound, he feels the bandaging. _So, you figured it all out._ Looking around, he notices Hanna's cloak is gone. Rob makes his way upstairs to the bedroom; the weapon chest is open, and all of Hanna's weapons are missing. Back downstairs and out to the garage; Hanna's ATV is gone too.

Returning to the den, Rob slumps into the chair; he buries his head in his hands, and lets out a long, pained groan of frustrated failure. His hands fall away from his face; he opens his eyes, and notices a letter on the table, pinned by a folded red scarf. Hanna's scarf. The header contains a variation of a familiar and dreaded symbol; five circles joined by lines. With trepidation, he picks the letter up, spilling the scarf on the floor, and begins to read. A few words are slightly blurred by tear staining, but still legible.

_My dearest Rob,_

_I hate to do this to you, but you have left me no choice. I cannot live without my Crystal, and I cannot be with you as you continue to keep me from it. Therefore I drugged you, recovered the key, and dug up my Crystal._

_I do not do this to hurt you. I love you, and I always will. But I cannot be with you if you cannot accept my Crystal is an important part of me. I cannot explain why I am so attached to my Crystal, or how it's become such a vital part of who I am. All I know is that I never want to be apart from it ever again._

_I understand that your actions were intended to protect me. But, as I have stated many times, I am the one in control, not my Crystal. Your distrust of my Crystal is therefore really distrust of me. And it hurts to know that._

_I haven't taken the other Crystals. I didn't make any attempt to find them; they wouldn't be any use to me anyway. Whatever you decide to do with them, it's up to you._

_The only thing that makes this situation bearable is the hope that, eventually, you'll see that I am right, and you'll decide to join me in a new venture. With the Elementals destroyed, there is a niche we could fill as their replacements. We wouldn't be power-mad kooks like the Ethereal; we'd be so much more, especially as a team._

_Be warned however: if you choose to fight me, I will not hesitate to destroy you._

_I pray that it never comes to that._

_Yours forever,_

_Hanna_

Rob crushes the letter into a tight ball, and drops it on the floor; his expression is a dark mix of anger, frustration, and sadness. Only one thought is in his mind.

_Hanna, my love, I have failed you._


End file.
